Many of those with us are here for one reason: nobody was willing to sacrifice for them. These were Mrs. Ebenezer Benjamin’s words to me as she shared about Ponnagam; a centre for the elderly which she runs in Rajapalyam, Tamil Nadu.

Birthed in 2006, Ponnagam Medical and Destitute Centre is a legacy of grace shared generously amongst the elderly residents and any visitors (animal or human!) who happen to journey through this unique community. The land upon which Ponnagam stands was a gift, given to Ebenezer’s family by her parents. The hope was that someday it would be used to extend the same care which her parents received in the weakness of their old age.

For those who now call Ponnagam home, their age and dependence were deemed a limitation, throwing them into the depths of “ungrace”.

At Ponnagam however, grace is found. You may not see it in close-ups of their wrinkled faces, or in the way that they hobble, cough, and sometimes argue with each other. It is experienced relationally, in the daily to and fro, where each person’s inherent value is celebrated. Grace that is intentional, life giving, and does not decay with time.

April 2013

Priyanka and Santosh got married on 18th March, 2013; hours of pure Kannadiga rituals, customs and fun!

Here's a little glimpse of that special day

(Many thanks to Anu John David for second-shooting!)

Priyanka found my work through a mutual friend who, like her, is also a Virgina Tech alumnus (they are fondly known as 'Hokies' I am told.) We bonded over the fact that our name was the same (Yes, Priyanka is my not-so-undercover real name) and after figuring out the time difference between us, we finally managed to 'meet' over Skype and worked out a way for me to be there to shoot their wedding in Mumbai on the 5th of Jan, 2013.

What a wedding it was. I honestly had so. much. fun. The 'Mala Badal' part of every wedding is always always my favourite and always a challenge to capture. There are always loads of people crowding around and you have to get creative, (if you're short like me) climb things and make sure you balance yourself enough and not fall on anybody! Ha! Well, I managed somehow and I love love what resulted. You really had to be there to see how fun it was but I hope the images will bring you close enough.

A HUGE HUGE thank you to both Pri and Chi's families and friends. It was a pleasure being amongst you and THANK YOU for so enthusiastically using the Photobooth!

This one is for Jo, my BFF from college days in Mumbai. I gave Jo a crash course in changing lenses and the basics of taking photographs in Manual Mode before the wedding and she rocked my world. Changing lenses quickly is so much less stress-free when someone you trust is there to help you! She also pretty much took charge of setting up our Photobooth at the reception which was a HUGE support. As I keep saying, where would I be without you, girly?

Also, a huge shout-out to Kosh, the amazing amazing designers who created Pri's beautiful wedding saree!

A grand wedding shot at Palace Grounds, Bangalore with the super-photographer Mark Swaroop :)

Marc+Debbie. The day before the wedding. So. in. love.

As a person who always notices and analyses environmental issues in her head wherever she goes, I'm actually quite surprised that I didn't come away from Varanasi with complete hopelessness. The river is dead. Completely. There is absolutely no life in the Ganga flowing through Varanasi. All that is in the river is dead. Dead flowers, fruits, vegetables, plastic... even bodies (yes, very disturbing, but unfortunately true and sometimes visible). Sure it can still look beautiful, but it's a deceptive beauty.

And yet, something about the deadness of the river reinstated something that I strongly believe in. That even in the darkest places, from the absolute pits, redemption can happen. And though it makes me sad and even angry to see that we as humans have no respect for creation and conservation, Redemption will come. No matter how dark it gets, the Light is always brighter.

This is Benares, A Beautiful Mess.

My first architectural shoot. One whole day, lots of hard work, good conversation, three super hyperactive kids and a whole lot of learning and fun!

Architect: Gaurav Roy Choudhury

Baby portraits of Moksh.
Mumbai, 2012

In the latter half of 2011, I had the incredible privilege of assisting behind the scenes of a documentary film. The film, called Horse & Rider: A Journey Towards Freedom is the story of two girls who are former victims of sex trafficking.
On the sets I shot stills behind the scenes and acted as a Production Assistant and Translator.
Here are some shots from our time filming in Mumbai.

A collection of photographs taken at a train station in Bangalore.

Portraits of a boy.